Why Does My Cat Always Sit on Me?
If you’re lucky enough, chances are your lovely kitty always lounges on your lap to snuggle or sleep whenever you’re settled on a chair or a couch. And while this might be one of the cutest and most joyous moments of your day, you still wonder why your cat does this!
This leaves you to ask, why does my cat always sit on me? Many things will cause your cat to sit on you. These might include seeking warmth, craving comfort and security next to you, marking their territory, enjoying the sound and the fragrance of your body, seeking your attention, or simply out of love and affection!
If you want to find out more about the reasons behind this cute behavior, keep on reading!
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9 Reasons Your Cat Might be Sitting on You
Now that you have an idea about the reasons, it’s time to find out more about them, so you can compare them to your cat’s case and figure out which one (or more) of these are behind your cat’s behavior.
1. They Love Your Body Warmth
Kicking off the list with one of the main factors behind this popular behavior. Cats have a naturally higher base temperature than us.
To maintain this temperature without spending too much internal energy, they’re naturally drawn to warm spots and soaking up the sun’s rays as external sources of heat.
One of the main ways for your cat to get warmth is by sitting on you. This is the main reason why your cat sleeps on your face.
It’s because your head is one of your warmest spots. You can easily tell that this is the reason if the cat only does this when it’s cold.
2. They Find Comfort in Your Soft Body
Cats sleep for up to 15 hours a day in small increments rather than just one go. So, it’s fairly reasonable for them to seek the most comfortable spots to make the most out of their sleep time.
No matter how soft your sofa or cat’s bed is, our bodies are just cozier and softer for them. Also, let’s not forget that, unlike beds and couches, your body also emits warmth, which is a bonus for them!
3. They Trust You and Love Being Close to You
Another simple reason why some cats would do this is that they simply love you. In that case, you usually come back from outside to find your cat following you around and jumping on your lap as soon as you sit.
One of the ways to make sure that this is the reason is when there are other people in the house but the cat simply chose you. It’s just one of the ways our cat shows us that they trust us and love us!
4. They Feel More Secure When They Sit on You
Despite being pets for thousands of years, cats didn’t really shake much of their feline instincts. At heart, they’re still a wild animal who looks for prey and avoid predators.
We all look for security and safety, so it’s no wonder that your cat will try to sleep close to someone they trust.
And since it wants to sleep while making sure that you won’t go anywhere, they usually sit on you, whether it’s next to you, on your lap, or your belly!
5. They’re Trying to Grab Your Attention
Have you ever seen the pictures of cats stretching out and sitting on books, laptops, and other belongings while you’re busy reading or working on them? It’s simply because cats always love to seek their owner’s attention.
Cats that sit on their owners for that reason don’t usually do it. However, they always accompany the lounging with purrs and meows, especially when they want you to rub them under the chins and behind their ears.
6. They Prefer Specific Fabrics That You Might Be Wearing
As you probably know, cats care greatly about where they sit or sleep and how comfortable it is for them. And since each one of them is unique, they have preferences in terms of the fabrics that come in contact with their body.
This is noticeable with pet cats that live in a family household, where the cat sits on different people depending on the texture or the fabric they wear.
For example, many cats love the sensation of fleece because it’s extremely soft and smooth. In that case, the cat will sit on whoever is snuggled in a fleece blanket, even if she usually sits on someone else’s lap.
7. They’re Being Possessive or Playing Favorites
Cats are very possessive creatures that like to mark their territory. Since cats rely heavily on their extremely powerful sense of smell for communication, sitting on you can be one of the cat’s ways to tell other cats to “back off, this is my human!”.
In that case, your cat won’t just hop to sit on your lap or your face to sleep. Instead, the cat will always start by rubbing her face on you to deposit and spread specific pheromones and oils that mark their ownership.
8. They Enjoy Your Sound or Scent
According to many cat owners, the sound of your heartbeats, breathing, and even speaking in a steady rhythm might be a soothing factor to your feline friend, which helps them to sleep right away just like white noise and ASMR do to some of us.
This is usually accompanied by the continuous rise and fall of your chest as you inhale and exhale, which is similar to a shaking baby crib.
Your body scent is also associated with the safety and care that you always provide them with.
9. They’re Just Being Social
Lastly, this is one of the relatively rare reasons for cats to sit on you. Although most cats are generally independent, some cats are just much friendlier than others.
This is because no two cats are alike, as they have a different personality and temperaments that are shaped depending on a variety of factors, such as cat breeds and the environment they live in.
If your cat has an affinity to sit on any person in the room regardless of the season, clothes, or the situation, there’s a huge chance that your cat is just a social one with a natural drive to bond with humans!
Should You Let Your Cat Sit On You?
Ideally, this is a matter of your personal preference. However, it’s a great way to bond between you and your cat. Some people also feel soothed and calm by having their love furball buddy all snuggled up on their laps.
However, if the act is uncomfortable to you or affects your daily life, you should try to stop it by keeping them engaged in various activities with your cat throughout the day, so they’ll have enough of their human friend and sleep easily.
On the other hand, if your cat isn’t a big fan of sitting on you, you shouldn’t take it personally because some cats aren’t just the snuggly type.
Also, there’s always a chance that they’ll start loving it later in life. In the meantime, you can provide them with a heated bed to help them feel warm and cozy.
Boy, Pixie and Mary’s Story
There are several reasons that your cat may sit on you. Boy and Mary were both “sitters”. Mary was the leader when it came to sitting on me. As soon as I sat down or even laid down, she was right there. And anything she did, Boy was not far behind.
And Boy being the alpha male that he was, he made sure he was the center of attention. Mary had no desire to compete for a spot to sit and usually gave in and let Boy sit on my lap. Occasionally, they both were able to find a spot on my lap or side. For the last 3 or 4 years of their lives, they sat on my lap daily.
Pixie loves being petted, but is not a lap kitty at all. She has her way of “asking” for attention and will occasionally sit next to me, but in fourteen years she has never sat on my lap (or anywhere else on me). Just like children, cats all have their own unique personality and being a “lap” kitty is part of that personality.
Final Thoughts
With that said, you now know why cats always sit on you! Whether they’re doing it out of love or they just prefer how you feel, it’s a highly rewarding behavior that benefits both ends!
If you want to find out the primary reason for your cat’s behavior, the previous breakdown might help you pinpoint it.
This way, you can either encourage your cat to sit on you more or get him or her to sleep less on you if it’s causing you discomfort or lack of sleep.